#regard and also just is not seeing the world that ww is seeing. but then vash helps him and saves him by sharing a piece of what /he/ sees

[ruporas]

soft (and some bittersweet)

[little-acts-of-gratitude]

Hello, Tumblr! I am incredibly excited to announce the start of my biggest project so far: Little Acts of Gratitude! It's a post-WW AU fancomic that follows a Ganondorf redemption-ish story set on the Great Sea, in which Link decides to defy fate right before the final duel and bring his sworn enemy back to the surface. But why? The comic explores the Triforce Trio and the world around them, in an attempt to solve the ancient mysteries and tie the loose ends. Suffice it to say, I have big, big plans for this story >:^з.

If you have access to desktop Tumblr, I recommend reading the comic that way, as you’ll be able to see a fancy blog theme with a comfy pagination and a banner for each chapter! But if not, there'll also be a dedicated pagination system for mobile users, like this:

(Page 0) next > last ▷

And now, FAQ/Disclaimer/whatever:

There’s no upload schedule planned as of now. I’ll try my best to aim for monthly updates and have at least a little backlog whenever possible, but more often than not I’ll probably upload the pages as soon as I am done with them. Also I’ll make sure to announce any major hiatuses if for some reason updates will take more time than planned. Just please don’t send any asks/DMs regarding this matter.

As a non-native English speaker, I’d greatly appreciate it if you guys pointed out any grammar mistakes I might make! This goes double for the instances of me using ASL for Link, as I don’t have any kind of experience with sign languages.

You may see the artifacts on the pages - this is the result of me Glazing them, just to see how that pans out. I'll... probably think of an option to show you guys the clean hi-res pages eventually.

For now, the comic will stay a Tumblr exclusive — but I am thinking of potentially crossposting it on other webcomic-hosting platforms! Once I amass a decent amount of pages and decide where exactly to upload them, I will provide links. As for the social media presence, I... don't really have anything other than Tumblr (except, well, iykyk), so no promises there.

And for, uh, legal purposes: the Legend of Zelda series belongs to Nintendo; I am not affiliated with them and do not claim ownership on anything other than the artwork itself. Not that they're currently going for fancomics, thankfully.

And... Thanks for taking time to read this! My lack of work ethics is my lifelong nemesis, but I hope that, despite everything, this comic will see the light of day, that I won’t stop working on it until I’m done, and that you will have a great time reading my silly little AU for a silly little vidyagame ✨!

[dyed-red]

happy ww! <3 if sam and dean don't get together until they are older, what do you think that looks like for them? how they come to realize their feelings, how they act on/address them, how they even begin to broach the subject with the other?

I have this view of late seasons sam and dean as incredibly settled and comfortable with themselves and each other in this regard, in a way that simply is not / was not possible when they were younger. Both because youth is tumultuous and learning to be okay with yourself takes time and experience, but also because your first apocalypse is a cataclysm, and your tenth is old hat.

Not only that, but through their various journeys together, particularly after s8 when we see them resolve their "infidelities" and commit to one other (in holy matrimony in that church), they have a level of trust in their bond that is different. It's tested in s9 with the lying/possession and then the attempt at distance following that, but reaffirmed from the s9 finale all through s10 with sam's willingness to damn the world (and die himself) for dean.

Which means that if they don't get together until they're "older", which I'm going to interpret here as late seasons or at least after s10, then i think it looks like a weirdly healthy and comfortable journey given that it's fraternal incest with enmeshed codependency and the fate of the world as collateral damage.

in their earlier years, there's this real fear of 'losing' each other, which comes in many forms but which includes the potential to do something so egregious as to alienate themselves from the other. this means that there is this possibility, real or imagined, that hangs over them, that if they admit or act on this (potentially unrequited because neither is testing if the other feels the same) attraction, they could damage their brotherhood. they have something huge to lose and feel a real potential to lose it. even if they trust the other won't abandon them over an attraction they didn't necessarily choose if it were to be discovered and unrequited -- and that trust itself is hard and fraught -- then it would still complicate and disgust and alienate, or so they would be likely to believe, at least in this mental scenario of them feeling attracted but not acting on it until they're older.

i suppose there are other scenarios, where they don't realize or experience that attraction yet, although that feels unlikelier to me, and it makes more sense to my mind that the attraction wouldn't suddenly manifest when they're older, but would be there the whole time, if latent and not even that important (because nothing is so important as their bond, and sexual and/or romantic attraction just isn't the most critical thing about how they feel toward each other).

but by a certain point, they've done so much worse to and for each other, and been through so much together and for each other, that worrying about this as if it's a huge dark evil secret would eventually start to feel almost childish. it would still enervate while hidden and unspoken, but it wouldn't feel like this damning thing in the same way, and i think would become an unspoken but obvious understanding between them.

meaning that by the time it slips from unspoken to spoken, it would be almost incidental or accidental, a quirk of 'oh we're acknowledging that now?' and a tension of 'are we sliding into that territory for real?'. It would still involve some potentially nervewracking navigating, but less on the "oh shit he knows oh fuck" side of exposure, and more on the "so what the fuck does this look like and is it worth it to explore knowing it could go wrong or is it better to keep things how we have them know, which is pretty damn good actually". It's a more mature and complex discussion, even if a silent and internal discussion, and a little less "throw overselves over this cliff and see what happens".

i like late season domestic era first time. i like to think that in a certain way, it feels like a foregone conclusion to them, and a bit like coming home, and a bit like "finally". <3

[three--rings]

Do you think Wei Wuxian was at fault for any of the things he did in his previous life? Cause from my own vantage he never started anything. It was all self defense and the only time it wasn’t was when he was freeing the Wen Remnants. Some guards died during the escape but they were responsible for the deaths of some innocent remnants. We don’t even know how many. It’s like mianmian said. It was retaliation but not one that was uncalled for. The second time he caused damage was when he was ambushed but again he didn’t start it. It was self defense. He wouldn’t have made it out alive if he didn’t. Like imagine if a civilian were to suddenly be ambushed the police (who are aiming to kill) otw to a baby shower, and while defending themselves another civilian died in the crossfire, would that be entirely the first civilians fault? And another in universe issue is that Wei Wuxian was the only one being held accountable because they were looking for a scapegoat. A reason to justify their prejudice against him and the wen remnants.

Even at night less city the clans attacked first. The only reason WW was even there was to witness for himself the declaration to massacre the remnants despite WN and WQ having already given themselves up.

Some readers keep insisting that WW was working in a grey are but it was all black and white to me. Proven by the fact that as soon as WW was dead the clans killed all the remnants in cold blood. Majority made out of women, children and the elderly.

It never felt like the clans were held culpable for any of their crimes either. I don’t really blame the narrative for that but I do wish there was more acknowledgement of it outside of how it relates to WW and more to how it was just horrible morally. In the real world if a more powerful coalition murdered a smaller group of innocent people in cold blood we’d be screaming for justice but the clans never do.

For me the reason where I will never like Jiang Cheng (or feel bad for most of the other clan characters outside of the main ones we see) isn’t just because of his behavior but because he took part in that massacre. Imo at the end the clans were no better than the Wen clan.

At the end of the day they had no justification. At the end of the day they were all murderers.

Also some fans believe that WW’s ‘arrogance’ in regards to his abillities was his downfall. But what pushed him to that? He died because of his desire to protect the people he cared about. Not because he was arrogant. Like a mother bear pushed into a corner with her cub by a group of hunters, weren’t his actions justified?

Do tell me if I’m wrong. I’m just frustrated

Sorry anon, but you're coming into my inbox and asking me to rehash the absolute bitterest fights of the MDZS/Untamed fandom that have torn apart people and friendships and the entire fandom for five years now. So I don't really feel like engaging in it.

But I strongly believe that when it comes to morality the point of MDZS is that literally everyone in the story's actions are very reasonable and justified from their own POV (some slight exceptions like Jin Guangshan and Wen Ruohan.)

People in MDZS react in emotionally understandable ways given their upbringing, environment, and specific situations. It's a book about not throwing around moral judgements carelessly, not about who was Most Right.

[stanfordsweater]

Happy WW! What do they think their brother (or other family member if you like) does better than anybody else in the whole wide world?

i think sam really admires dean's instincts when it comes to hunting!! there's a few times when we see sam defer to dean with regards to what angle he comes into a room with, who takes point, et cetera, and despite all his griping, i think sam also admires the shit out of dean's improvisation skills... thinking about the rabbits foot episode when dean takes out the dude by throwing the gun at him, and sam's looking at him like "are you serious" but also "of course that worked, it's dean." (dean juiced up on luck, but still). or the saga of the rocket launcher. this is especially meaningful to me when sam's trust in himself is lacking in the mid-seasons, especially early parts of 5, after he gets his soul back in 6, and throughout 7.

dean, meanwhile, genuinely thinks sam is the smartest person alive and will not hesitate to tell you so. everytime sam pulls some obscure fact out of his ass and saves the day, dean's like WHY DO YOU KNOW THAT but also admiring, always, and is willing to go with it without an explanation (see the hallowed ground theory in route 666, that time sam knows every library code ever off the top of his head, the bloody faces "masks" in it's the great pumpkin, sam winchester). this is also related to improvisation, but i think dean interprets it as intellect/nerdiness where sam interprets it as experimentalism, when in reality they're both intelligent dudes who think well on their feet.

what they do best together is communication without words or even actions, just looking at each other and knowing what he's thinking and following through without exchanging anything other than a nod 😮‍💨❣️

[lindseybots]

SO YOU MEAN WE CAN COME HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE BLORBOS IN YOUR AU??

Ahem, so you mentioned something about trying to find a good balance between Wind and Zelda and what Wind will do during the events of ST... I know you're probably still figuring stuff out but I really wanted to let you know that I'm very excited to see how it will end up as! There's so many options and possibilities for WW Link and ST Zelda's relationship (both my beloveds) and it's making me go dsaiuahkadsakb

The dynamic of a trio is so interesting to explore! Petting your AU and tucking it into bed gently rn...

OF COURSE YOU CAN COME HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE BLORBOS!! I EVEN ENCOURAGE IT!! PLEASE DO!!

Also thank you so much for the kind words! omg that means the world to me!! I will do my best as I explore this AU further!

I’m very excited to explore the trio, so I am very happy you’re looking forward to it too! I think it’s really interesting that Wind is very experienced when it comes to adventuring while Zelda has no experience in that regard. In fact, they make it pretty apparent in the game that she doesn’t really leave the castle AT ALL. In terms of navigation or even some basic life skills, she has no experience.

Zelda and Wind are opposites in that regard, but in other areas I think they get along really well. They’re both very sassy, spunky, and even a bit stubborn. At the end of the day though, they both want to look out for each other and ST Link as best they can.

ST Link is in a bit of a middle ground. He has probably traveled a few places while as an apprentice to Alfonzo, as such he has some experience in terms of talking with people, navigating, and of course his train expertise. I always headcanoned that ST Link is a bit of an inventor too, or, at the very least knowledgeable about machinery. Just pulling into a station in the game can fix your train’s health, even if the location has no other characters. That definitely implies that Link is the one making any repairs.

On top of all of that, Wind was one of the people who raised him. Wind would definitely teach him some skills that he learned. He has no doubt heard all the stories about Wind’s adventures, if not from Wind himself then from Niko. If faced with an enemy that Wind has fought before, he’d be able to have some knowledge on a good way to approach it.

Still, this will be his first time actually on an adventure to save the world. He still has stuff to learn.

This is the perfect excuse for me to give a quick little update on some things I’ve been thinking about. This is already really long, so i’m gonna put it under a break. If you’re interested, keep reading.

I will eventually talk about this again later, as the stuff I’m going to mention is still being worked on. Still, here is some progress on things.

For ST Link’s nicknames, a few I have been debating are:

Little Spirit / Spirit

Specks (for his freckles and because it’s probably pretty common to find specks of dirt or oil or something on him.)

Engineer / Engine / Eng

I feel like using a mix of these might be good, not just sticking to one. Like how Wind’s primary nickname is Wind, but he is sometimes also referred to as Sailor, or something along those lines. None of these are really set yet and are all subject to change. Let me know your thoughts.

In terms of Wind’s involvement in the events of ST, one thing i’ve been debating is him being the one handling the train’s cannon. I feel like because it’s the “Spirit” Train, I can get away with the excuse that spirits or ghosts have a little more ability when in contact with it. Wind knows his way around a cannon. It’s one of the ways I think he could help. Plus, it would allow ST Link to focus fully on driving.

I also feel like Wind can summon any of his belongings for himself. He can’t give them to anyone else to use. They’re more like spiritual / ghostly copies of the real things, and if it’s something like his sword or bow and arrows, they wouldn’t be able to ACTUALLY hit anything. Still, it would allow him to summon things to help teach ST Link through demonstration.

The Tower of Spirits is really the trickiest part for me. I, honestly, don’t want him possessing phantoms. I feel like that’s something that should be reserved for Zelda.

I want Wind and Zelda to have different things that they can do. At least one thing exclusive to each while in the Tower. The excuse I’m going with is that she still has a tie to the living, even if it’s hanging by a thread. Wind, on the other hand, is fully a spirit. As such, the things they can do are different.

[7ban-sama]

Hello, so, I've been following you for a while, and I think you write so well. I would actually read a fanfic of yours about those three, you know, Tsukasa, Yashiro, Hanako. My question is, what do you imagine it would be like: Nene and Hanako's first time, Hanako and Tsukasa's first time Yashiro and Tsukasa's first time and finally, the first time between the three of them? Yes, about sex itself. It's okay if you don't feel comfortable answering, but I'm genuinely curious to know how you would imagine it.

Thank you for the compliment on my writing...! I like to write, so... nice that others can regard that writing kindly. 💦 I suppose on that note, since it's relevant to your question: I've actually covered the idea of a 'first time' between all 3 in a fic before, in A heart in the right place (a collaboration between me and @2n2n💜) Feel free to check that out, if it would be of interest.

Now as for your question-! Actually... I really love thinking about 'first times'... in fact, it's really fun to try and approach it from different angles, like solving a puzzle. 'How can I make [this] particular thing happen between [them]? Hm hm hm...'

I'll try to summarize my thoughts. :3

HanaNene

The classic shoujo ship of the manga~ I honestly adore that at it's bones, you have a pair between a tragic ghost boy and a girl with her little devil horns and skull brooch. They're very sweetly designed to be 'for' one another, and I always appreciate that. I love that they're both childish and inclined to play together. There's also an awkwardness between them I find really precious, they seem soo easily overwhelmed when things get 'serious'... As if it's difficult brushing up against the intensity of how much they like each other. But before it gets serious, it has to start out kind of silly, I think...

Depending on the world, Amane is either creepily shmoozing onto her in a predatory fashion (canon, Ghost Hotel, Bakeneko Ryokan) or... he's 'shy', fussy, perhaps even avoidant (your more mundane Amanes are this I think, a spectrum between the presented identity in PP and something like Teen School Drama boy...) I feel as though Nene always has to go through a phase of, 'he's not my type', followed by 'I'm just a normal girl!' 'This is too much!' haha... She's innately charmed by him, but wary, and unsure about saying yes to... this. This isn't how any of her fantasies ever played out... (Imagined more traditional experiences ww) ; By contrast, I would say Amane is more... immediately infatuated-? Consciously attracted-?? But he doesn't, expect or prepare for deep attachment... Doesn't think it's, love, kind of, sucks, is thinking HOT GIRL... pant pant... Sure, I'll take a shot, why not... <- Bizarre amount of confidence and detachment.

Hmm, I guess actually, I see them as both not expecting to be as into the dynamic as they are, so they're unprepared (and inexperienced...) Hence, all the hesitation about committing to it being More... Subsequently, I think it takes quiet a while to get to dating, and even longer until confessions. Typically I imagine sex happening before all that actually! It may seem out of order, but something sexual is easier to access than deeply working out feelings... 'One thing leads to another.'

For first times specifically, I am,, naturally, inclined, to think about it being noncon-!! !! !! OTL💦 In some manner...!

(... in my defense, the manga harasses me into thinking about it...

This is bullying-!! I'm being bullied.💔)

... but in all seriousness... u.u; That's really how I picture it happening... The cocktail of Amane's instability, possessiveness, forcefulness, leads to something snapping inside. Amane... he can't help but being a bit of a ticking time bomb. He has rabies (dormant.) And his urges are often being coaxed and encouraged by Nene, even. Actually, I really like when things start consensual, then devolves into rape. 9.9 Paradoxically.

To be more specific... Imagine something set relatively early in the manga, amidst the first couple volumes. Nene proposes, a bit clumsily, something like — practice kissing. For fun-! Nothing too 'serious', so. Amane can be agreeable, smiling about it, maybe even half-lidded. "Ohhh... Yashiro, you wanna do that~? Haha." [she baps him for teasing]

They do this a couple times... Both are feeling, more doki-doki about it than they'd expect, but with different responses to that. Nene is kind of like, twirling her hair, writing diary entries cutely at home about it... Amane is feeling wary, on edge. (Doesn't like feeling passion, because the last time that happened...🔪) He wouldn't let on his concerns though, just be normal silly ghost guy, deflecting. Out of Nene's periphery, she could watch as he clutches the edge of his clothes, fist shaking. Nene sees that as a victory though, like, ah he's! Nervous, Hanako-kun, he likes this... *mind wanders, imagine he wants to touch her more during!* huehueuee.... hehe!

So naturally, Nene so-kindly offers that he rest his hands on her, if he wants, he, doesn't have to keep them to himself. >> Maybe cheekily (but shyly) imply that they could practice... Well more things! Poses... dialogue?? Surprisingly, he doesn't take to the offer though. (Well it seems weird bc he is, known pervert ghost.) You could then imagine Nene getting a bit persistent, like... He just needs encouragement. Hanako-kun, he's surprisingly shy... But I can take the lead-! That kind of mindset.

To Amane, she feels strangely pushy, like, why does she keep trying, saying things like that, she should be more careful. I'm a, guy, ugh, Yashiro, you can't just go inviting these things, you don't know what'll happen. [guy who is a murderer voice] He feels ah, poked, prodded, goaded. ? And he kind of is... but that's scary for Amane, like-!! He's kind of all or nothing, in my mind, holding it all back or... Losing control, in a haze, brain overheated, boiling inside. Need to DO something...

So even if Nene was encouraging or even fantasizing about ~something~ happening between them, I think the inciting action is very sudden, harsh, without warning. And so it feels violating! Getting pinned down, groped, mouthed desperately... Tights shoved out of way quickly, and, by the time he drives a finger in, her mind is going blank.

Ah that's another element... I think of fingering super often as their first time! Fingering expresses something like, impatience in Amane, wanting to hurriedly shove inside! There's no time, he wants to confirm everything in tactile touch, wants to feel her warm and wet insides! Her living body-!! Raurgh... It's a lot of effort to unbuckle, unzip, get self out, and, there's a loss of control at that point that is too scary almost? I think Amane's hind brain worries about getting out his cock. (Again, it's kind of like.🔪🔪🔪)

Luckily for Amane he has a finger fetish and, I think it results in admiring other's fingers, as well as being very fixated on interfacing things with his own. Verrry stimulated by wiggling fingers inside, feeling the give of inner walls, reaching far into her. There'll be a point where he gets lost in the raw sensations of pumping in and out. As for Nene... I always think she's besieged by genuine confusion, disorientation, some fear (as she can't get away, can't push him off), then sadness (why didn't he tell me he wanted to...) Yet she is simultaneously enthralled to get to feel something so intense.

There's. [sigh.....] A joke in PP that insinuates Nene masturbates a lot... I internalize this as truth, and a part of her whole romance-obsession and, the way she goes on flights of fancy... Nene-chan is someone who has spent a lot of time ~fantasizing~... and she has imagined guys being forceful with her... For a girl who worries about being unwanted and ugly, it'd be relieving for someone to instead be so into her they MUST touch her. So it's not all bad, I think she does feel her heart pounding wildly in her chest, is amazed at how Amane holds her close. When Amane feels things... it's with crazy intensity! Something you never see on anyone else! So that's incredible to witness...

The aftermath can go any which-way, but let's say generally I think of things getting 'better' over time... Even with the fraught start. ❤

Those are generally the things I envision in canon. I like to go anywhere between V1-8, mostly focusing on things before PP & the Severance. Picture Perfect arc is like, it's own beast, so envisioning a first time occurring then has a different vibe. That being said, I have a delusion that in PP, Amane was going to finger Nene-chan at the movies. And I've thought very hard about him fingering her in the jail cell, while Nene pretends to be unconscious. 😶

Also in AUs, like mundane non-magic ones, I like to think of them going at a pretty steady pace of hanging out, flirting, getting to know each other. But then, Amane suddenly drags Nene into a closet or bathroom stall and fingers her with 0 conversation beforehand, really putting Nene through a lot emotionally wrhghfh... Even in a world where there's less extreme circumstance, I guess I envision Amane just being so bad at things like asking permission. He really would rather not. He'd prefer, taking advantage of openings. "Houdai"... *sighs*

AmaTsuka

The twins... Ooh, they are so painful for me to think about. In adoration of each other, and yet...💔 Haaa. I will be blunt, I think they have it the hardest, when it comes to consummating... The disadvantage of the incest taboo isn't negligible; it isn't an intuitive thought, to be attracted to your twin brother. Why, how? That's not how it's 'supposed' to be. I think Amane and Tsukasa both struggle to identify their feelings as romantic/sexual. Though-! I think Amane is closer to 'seeing' it, but he's also a lot more avoidant about confronting sensitive feelings like that. (Even with Nene...) So.

The result of this all is: the ultimate slow burn, taking yeeeears to remotely realize their feelings. And even if one of them does, if they don't have confidence the other reciprocates, they can't make progress...

(Looking at AUs, the lovers suicide seems STEP 1 of romance actualization. Amane needs to, reach his limit EXPLODE, take Tsukasa with him... Perhaps, do crazy things like drink his blood, eat his fingers, hold his heart in his fist.)

As you can imagine... Sex is a very far-off goal... And ah, another factor that muddies things is, I think Amane and Tsukasa both have unusual sexualities... the sort of thing you can't really put labels on. I will be blunt, I never think of them as being attracted to 'boys'... because, there's no attraction to the general concept of maleness, and they'd never like. Have a crush on some guy, ever. This is strictly an obsession with one another, and further defined by roles/inclinations of theirs. Tsukasa being very servile & masochistic, while Amane is very domineering & sadistic. Another reason why things tend to culminate in something as extreme as heart-stab. Uncontrollably into 🔪stabbing and being stabbed.💘

The prelude to this all is in childhood; many fleeting 'incidents'... Small moments where they colluded sexually, like — were both horny about something they were doing together. But that "something" could be any number of innocuous things... such as.

Chasing each other in the yard, pretending to be dinosaurs, playbiting. Rough-housing in a pool, holding each other underwater, wiggling out from each other's grasps. Laying around on the floor indoors, bicycling legs together, devolving into nudging and kicking the other. Having... a staring competition? Throwing food for the other to catch in their mouth-!? The list goes on... it gets eccentric, minuscule. Invisible. Aroused by Amane commanding you in a callous tone. Aroused by Tsukasa licking something off his fingers mindlesssly. Heart racing while Amane circles you, examines your yukata, adjusts your obi, laughs under his breath. Holding Tsukasa's mouth open to inspect the new gap from the recently lost baby tooth, seeing remnants of bloody tissue.

Mesmerized by one another. Made to feel a distant twinge of heat. Throat clenching, making it hard to talk. Blinking slowly. These physical responses are as mysterious as the instigators... Neither twin can understand it... Wouldn't it feel absurd to think anything of it? You're probably just excited to be with your brother, because you love your brother, because you're supposed to love your brother. 'The end.'

There's no way to really pursue anything they feel. It's all brief... ends as abruptly as it starts. Kind of lost between Tsukasa's cluelessness, and Amane's defensiveness. I think Tsukasa follows Amane's lead, let's him set the tone, and it's Amane that wants to dismiss things, laugh it off, explain it away. Even so, these incidents are endless little dots accumulating over their entire childhood. Building up steadily.

Another detail... I tend to HC the twins as being easily affectionate and touchy throughout most of their childhood. Comfortable to reach for the other's hand, play together, take naps, etc. Even bathing was likely very mundane, your basic skinship.

Many years spent like this! Friendly, touchy, comfortable.

As they age, there's a bit more distance... modesty. I think Amane is the one who gets rather stiff, more like 'sigh, come on...' [not looking at Tsukasa when he grabs his hand.] Sounding beleaguered, something like that... Increased tsundere, really.

(They're still very close though. Without thinking about it... anyone else would see them as quite attached.)

Noting this though because I think of Amane as suffering more from the onset of ~puberty~... Like genuinely, ah, more pervasive awareness of own arousal, struggling with getting hard over nothing. More. Debilitated. By penis. Can't let gaze linger on Tsukasa when they get dressed in the morning. Because. It's weird now. Kind of like an invisible wall is manifesting between him and Tsukasa steadily...

Tsukasa is aware of the growing distance, but... his inclinations are to presume Amane simply finds him annoying... (Despite what we see in PP, I've yet to think that 12-13 yo Tsukasa was quite so *tackle glomp*... I think yorishiro Tsukasa is his own entity, more adjacent to an excitable 3 yo Tsu. Currently think of 12 yo boy as more modest as well...) Anyways this miscommunication occurs... concurrent with Tsukasa's unconscious pining for Amane deepening, which manifests as a urgency to be useful to him in some manner. A continuation of his feelings as a child...

Going to try and explain a philosophy of mine, but. I think if the twins had sex, they wouldn't have died, so. Logically they did not, and that's why they're ghosts in canon setting. And as ghosts, I can't see AmaTsuka managing to have sex without TsuNene/3way happening first. Nene-chan provides necessary encouragement and motivation for both as they struggle with recognizing what they feel. In a lot of ways, her simple-girl outlook on things helps her go, gasp... Wait, is it, love? WHICH... THEY REALLY NEED... And unfortunately I think Amane is a tough nut to crack, he kind of needs a certain amount of pressure. A girl scolding him. (And it needs to be Amane who does something, because Tsukasa won't...)

Related to that... I usually think Amane needs to endure a bit of cucking, in some form, first, before, making his move. He needs to feel agony as Tsukasa's first kiss is with someone else. He needs to be on the brink of tears thinking about Tsukasa's virginity. We really need to cattle prod Amane until he puts his foot down. Get insane... That's... MY otouto, he's MINE, I KILLED HIM AND HE'S MINE, HE BELONGS TO ME, HE'S MY PROPERTY!!! I DECIDE WHAT HE GETS!! ! !! !! *froths*

Once you get him going though, it's— you need, look no further, he will be unstoppable. All those years, man! I think it could be as batshit as choking Tsukasa against the ground while humping him. Or like immediately facefucking him. Jerking Tsukasa off with one hand, holding his jaw in the other, crazily talking down at him. Fingering his mouth, throat, making him gag. Any number of things. Sometimes Nene-chan must watch as Tsukasa gets an agonizing overstimulating blowjob. Poor baby... *but she was instigating this & also it IS important it happens* *sits with mouth pressed in line*

Now... putting a little integrity aside... When I want to soothe my brain, I think about the Yugi somehow miraculously managing something in their childhood. (You have to just assume this is fate-altering, a new timeline emerged from it.) My favorite backdrop for childhood first times is something at Tanabata... Age 8. After running around together, laughing, holding hands... Laying in the grass, on this warm summer night. Scent plumes from your yukata collars. Sweaty... Hazy...

I think about things like, Amane being careless and just — kissing Tsukasa on impulse. Some measly thought behind it like, it'd be fun to imitate what couples do, it would be fun to watch Tsukasa react to a kiss lol, etc. Frustratingly easygoing about it, since he's not thinking hard... Tsukasa is left stunned, spellbound. He has special feefees about Tanabata and, fixates on the romantic elements more, so I think it's overwhelming for him...

Well, ig there's no reason not to include these sketches of mine.

You get the vibe. Similar to how he shmoozes Nene really, somehow... the doting, the condescending! Playfulness. Not being as serious as he ought to be.

Though at this age I don't think Amane is as encumbered as 50 yo murder-suicide ghost Hanako... So I think he can initiate more with Tsukasa. Ahhh I usually think about them either tucked behind a stall or somewhere distant from the festival, Amane hiking his yukata up and Tsukasa curious, eager to please, easily coaxed into a blowjob. Thinking so simply... it's like kissing Amane... but here.

This is probably the most innocent I can envision it... Something like this, it's more explorative, experimental. Kind of extrapolating on how they're always playing together, this can feel like another 'game'... sort of.

[blinks] I realize I can't possibly summarize AU AmaTsuka shennanies... not meangfully. I think it's. For lack of kinder terms, a lot of dumb yaoi bullshit, I don't know. AidaIro are really faffing off in those AUs... Like, I think TS Tsukasa just goes to their dorm and puts on that stupid bunny mask Amane is horny about and Amane just gets to jerk off onto him. Bakeneko Ryokan Amane is just fucking Tsukasa in the sabi space or whatever and their collars are jingling in unison. The Valentine's day devil-angel twins are just going to have SEX later as prize for Amane winning the bet. I hate it so much. Let's move on.

TsuNene

[clearing my mind...]

After those other two pairings, it kind of amuses me to say, I think TsuNene have a lot less... emotional obstacles, stopping them from getting close. But it's kind of mean, the major difference is that they're both more open, honest individuals than Amane... That's just the truth! Oh well 💔💔 At least they love him dearly so, he's not going to be left behind or anything...

I often internally describe TsuNene as a "schoolyard romance"... having chemistry the way two kindergartners would, playing in the sandbox together. Nene easily gets carried away, and so does Tsukasa! Childish, naive, silly-willies! These two are prone to getting lost in the throes of playtime, hardly stopping to second-guess much... Recent updates have really delighted me, as we finally get to see Tsukasa and Nene play together directly! Even though he's been the mysterious "villain" Nene has fleeting interactions with... They wind up playing tag, laughing while flying around, and singing together, now don't they?

⬆A dream come true for me... All the potential I see in TsuNene well exemplified here.

Of course, not to discredit the other moments they've had together... I think TsuNene is so very real in the manga! (Really, it's just that others have taken a while to acknowledge it.) I've based a lot of my writing, etc. on things like the red house arc...

I think Nene can easily find Tsukasa cute, precious, sweet and smart! She can step up and be the onee-san between them too, much like she does with 8 yo Amane as well... Meanwhile, I think Tsukasa formed a crush on Nene back here... A nice pretty girl doting on him. And she likes Amane too, ahh... They are matching!

If they spend enough time hanging out, I think it's inevitable for them to get along, really...

There are things Tsukasa lacks, like.. a kind of territorial, demanding quality. Amane pushes himself onto Nene, makes ploys for her attention, wants to be seen as cool (and he does the very same to Tsukasa, as well.) He 'puts it on', he 'works you over'... Tsukasa is the opposite; he doesn't ask anything of the other. He's not jealous... he doesn't have expectations. He's just, Tsukasa, he only thinks to respond honestly. A little kid showing you a bug, because he thinks you'll like it. I think this is disarming...!

On top of it all, there's this ethereal quality to him, as he thinks so bluntly, and isn't encumbered by what is 'acceptable'... So he will hold your face and look directly into your eyes, and say aloud what he observes you feeling. Or ask you what you're feeling, because he's curious. Or, say how he's feeling... He can be so direct. He can say he likes you, or thinks you are pretty.

It's just so direct... I think a girl could really appreciate that! While Amane is teasing, fussy, rude... it can be mysterious if Amane even likes you... With Tsukasa, no mystery! As Nene is befriending him, he would certainly seem as though he likes her... maybe just so innocently, it's hard to discern romance from it.

Basically I think in any timeline/world, Nene is destined to go through the thought process: Wait, does Tsukasa-kun like me? I had no idea... all along, is that what 'this' was? *looks back on memories* Eh- well- m-maybe that's...

... no, um. Hmm. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself...

Lol but just as well, it doesn't stop Nene from confronting how she would feel if this were the case. IF it's possible that Tsukasa likes her... then. Nene basically begins forming a sense of excitement at the prospect, deep in her heart. Her imagination runs wild... because, of course, she can't help but like him... She's deep down attracted to Amane, and I think. She is. Allured. By the concept of being courted by, twins. Multiple boys... we know Nene is weak to the idea.

Usualllyyyy, I think about them getting as far as a kiss on their own, and the idea of more is a bit intimidating... at first. But if Nene is lustful she could succeed in taking it further, really. I think, she can just, reach under that hakama, and there's no resistance. At most Tsukasa is simply ah, overwhelmed like, did not know Nene-chan liked me that much! Did not ever think about getting to do things with a girl ever! Has never... felt... desirable, in that way... That's almost like, not what he's 'for'...

As manic as he is usually, I think Tsukasa gets very 6.6 [small...] in an intimate moment like this. It's that way he gets, where he struggles to dream even about humble platonic things... All the fixation on romance as well means, kissy, touchy, is like /// wah //// so you like me that much...// //// Subsequently, Nene-chan must take the lead! But again... if she's confident enough, she can do it...

They're cute... I really just think about, her hand reaching under hakama, kimono... first grasping and feeling under the layers of clothes, heart racing. She's ah, nervous too of course... Excited though, to finally feel 'it', weouue.... Real boy... Cute boy, flustered boy! Amusingly enough I think she'd really wish to see, Tsukasa's junk directly but it's so many layers it feels, like invasive in a way she isn't confident about. So instead it's like mmh... mostly fixating on the sensations of her hand around him, the twitching she can feel.. Until it gets too much for her and she neeeeds to feel it inside. (In my mind Nene is insatiable, has almost no patience for waiting for PIV... Like ah amusingly Amane can keep her at bay from it, when she'd wish it would be sooner. COBCVK!!! NEED>....)

Dunno why but I often imagine them in doggystyle... It's a different vibe than when I picture HanaNene in it also — more clumsy! Nene on all fours, Tsukasa close up against her, clutching her... Tsukasa is more liable to slip out and need help rearranging, reaching back, being slipped in... Lose 'rhythm', struggle to focus! I also like Tsukasa struggling to stay hard... sometimes get half-chubs, fluctuating. Fffeeels good thoughhh... for both of them. They're both like >< >< ouuh.... Squeeze... He squeeze, cling to her, she nuzzles by tilting her head back against him...

By the end it's like... flop over!! Touch foreheads!! Kiss, thread fingers...!! Bwbwhuuu... Peaceful afterglow... whisper to each other about it...

... in a world where neither of them have gotten to bridge intimacy with Amane yet, it's very like... sighs together... Wish they could talk to him about it, wish they could share it with him, in some way. Though I think they could keep boning for a while before doing anything about it kfkfjh like... W-well, it's fun and good andndhfhg no reason not to.

And that's

my

thesis.

On all pairings. Houugh. [crumples up...]

I'd almost feel silly describing HanaNeneTsuka itself since, that's what I'm always posting about and drawing porn of kfkgjhsdg... [briefly imagining like, me describing the twins taking turns coming in Nene and eating her out or something...] The. It's fine. Just imagine the way all 3 of these perfectly intersect. Everyone is really really really really really into each other and they get along. Anyways there's my fanfic, as I mentioned, which is culminates in the three-! And... also this blog archiving RPs between me and my wife I've been chipping away at. Lose your mind there if you need.

OKAY thanks goodnight.

[bloobluebloo]

Wrt that post from a few minutes ago. Listen I'm not saying that the gods created a man with the indestructabity of a Nokia to be an extremely effective scapegoat for everything they do wrong but

(Yes this has been said before but Imo it does need pointed out again just how fucked it is. I started playing WW and I'm so mad that he somehow STILL gets the blame)

(Pardon me, but if you would permit me to go on a tangent of sorts) It's funny because while we keep hearing that the story of LoZ was intended to be simple, a vehicle to let the gameplay take centerstage and shine, they still left behind hints and clues that tell of something deeper and something that is not so simple.

I was actually thinking of some of the elements that go into telling a simple story. One of those elements is to lean into well known tropes and stereotypes. For example, TotK's story gets away with a lot of things based on the idea that people know who the characters are already. Ganondorf's evil nature needs no explaining because in popular culture everyone knows that Ganondorf is a villain. Zelda, and by extension, Rauru and Sonia's intentions are understood to be for the good of Hyrule because we have established that the Hylian Monarchy always serves in the name of good. When OoT came out, designing Ganondorf as a thief originating from the desert was a decision that was very likely made because it was a recognizable stereotype for a villainous character. The story did not have to do that much heavy lifting to prove that he was an evil man because his background already pointed to it. Then we also have the unbridled racism towards the Gerudo seen in the game which didn't seem *so* strange because well, of course they're like that right? However, in the same game, we learn, without any filters, of Hyrule's crimes, of the inklings of what may have created a man like Ganondorf in the first place. Now what was the point of all this? I...really hate that we have reached a point in media literacy where, if you are not directly told that something occurred, that it must have not occurred. Someone who does not get the point after sending several unanswered invitations and still insists on sending them is someone who has entitlement. It doesn't have to be an act of violence to be *bad* or *oppressive*. Concentrating power that can wipe out the most powerful of armies in mere seconds in one family is not peaceful. Building extensive mines underneath and in the lands of others is not peaceful. Keeping the ruler of another nation close under the pretense that he is evil and must be leashed is not peaceful. The thing is by now so many people are conditioned to see Ganondorf as bad that they might not even want to imagine that his hatred and scorn for Hyrule have reason behind it. He is the source of *all* evil. He is the only one never afforded any grace or mercy, regarded as an illness that must be eliminated in the most violent way. He is always wrong, and he is the only wrong. I just find it...interesting that this scapegoating of his goes hand in hand with the fact that he is the only one who successfully upends Hyrule's monarchy and causes true damage to Hyrule.

So yes, he is a scapegoat. In my eyes, it's because he's the only one who has the balls to fight against his natural order in the world, even if it means he will be forever a loser.

[narcissa-black-supermacy]

Ok , so, I know it is 100% opposite to canon but imagining James asking for Walburga 's permission to court Sirius is so pleasing . Like She does not like James but Potters are pureblood and prestigious ( although James has no idea how to sit or drink tea probably like a real pureblood as far as Blacks are concerned)

adjksghf0----- don't talk to me about this or i'll go [windows blue screen noise]

okay so like...a few things to unpack here:

number 1 - Walburga's biggest issue with Prongsfoot would be that they are both men and can not reproduce, that's it. i think the whole "blood-traitors" thing would be 100% workable, especially considering that the Potters aren't Weasleys - they are still rich, still highly regarded, still powerful.. if either of them was a girl, i think they could actually make it work; now,

number 2 - being gay in the Wizarding World. do wizards have the same prejudices? is there homophobia? we don't really know. it's probably not encouraged in pure-blooded circles because it contradicts the need to have heirs, but that's the main and only reason, which brings me to:

number 3 - can't gay people have children with magic? i'm not talking about mpreg. think about more like.. a magical way to take two people's DNA (even if it's a man and woman who can't have children for some reason) and just connect it and like..grow the kid in a pumpkin or something? i mean, it's magic!! certainly there has to be a workable solution for that. someone has to invent it, that would save people so much time and trouble.

so taking the above into account, if we assume that the WW does not view gay relationships as harshly, and if we assume that there are ways being developed for two people to have children without the traditional way of sex>pregnancy.... and if we do take the scenario of Sirius and James courting, for example....

Walburga would have 2 main non-negotiable demands:

She will want heirs. Boys. She won't accept a relationship that will not give her heirs, she will need some kind of promise, perhaps even legally, that there will be at least one male heir.

The family name. She will not accept a relationship where the heir does not get the Black family name, otherwise what's the point?

So given that they agree on the two points above, I do think it could be workable, to some extent. She won't be happy about it but she will take it over not having heirs at all. (i also feel like James is the only one this could really work with. i don't see her accepting Remus, for example... not under any conditions)

[bigbobbiehorror]

I think after finishing the game and then watch my brother beat it on his own, I've got a few thoughts in regards TOTK's story and a few nitpicks, so All Spoilers beneath the cut:

First of all, I feel like the game just kind of wasted a lot of potential gray morality that you could've found in the conflict between the Ganondorf and Rauru. Because, regardless of whether Ganondorf was a good leader to his people or not prior this, the fact that Rauru was looking to unify all lands and ultimately, to have them swear fealty to the Hyrule kingdom, it's all glossed over. From that point of view, at the very least, you can understand Ganondorf's hostility towards Hyrule (and this is where I get pretty mad: he doesn't need to be redeemed or even be justified in his evil, but I would've loved to see Ganondorf be written like a more layered villain. I was very excited to see him, but he just feels a lot like TP's incarnation: he looks cool and does memorable shit, but he doesn't feel like an 'interesting' character outside being a force of evil. He's definitely the most intimidating Ganondorf to date, but even with Matt Mercer's great performance, he comes across as very flat).

Also, how the only living zonai that we ever see before the imprisoning war are Rauru and Mineru, and there's never a clear explanation about what happened to the rest of them. It is assumed they once were living in Hyrule long before their times, so what happened to them to go extinct? There's no hints given on whether it was because of Demise or was it something else. And the fact that there's a lot of new facts that contradict previous lore doesn't make it easier to figure out (which isn't new for a Zelda game, but man you would think that they keep track of their own lore at this point).

Ultimately, I feel like the ending is wrapped up very eagerly with a positive note, with both Zelda and Link recovering what they lost (her humanity and his arm). Though this isn't new for a Zelda game, I felt like it would've been more impactful to have Link lose his arm forever in exchange of bringing Zelda back to her human self.

And to be honest... I am kind of getting a bit tired of having pieces of the story given to me out of order. It wasn't so bad in BOTW, but in TOTK I wish I could've watched these important events in their chronological order, because it's kind of anti-climatic to watch the scene where Zelda meets Sonia and Rauru for the first time and the next one I get is of Ganondorf killing Sonia. so.... yeah, not a fan.

Gameplay-wise, this game is my favorite out of all Zelda games. I loved the amount of freedom that the game gives to you, but after doing 90+ shrines, I think I'm starting to miss the old long dungeons.

(Also, feel free to disregard the following paragraph, that's mostly just me being old and complaining about things that aren't necessarily bad or a real concern for others) And about the open world: I loved exploring the world and doing the little side quests, but you know what I'm not a fan of? The amount of hours I spend doing the exploring. I'm a bit of a completionist and combining that with my reduced my free time has become and all other games I wish to play besides this, an open world this big is not a great thing for me. I think that this is why I don't play Wind Waker as often ad OoT in spite of the former being my favorite: the world is too big and I only have so much free time to dedicate to a videogame in which I could spend 30-20% of that time traversing a map from one objective to another. And WW is a pretty linear game: TOTK is not exactly linear, in fact, I may get a dozen of new distractions while I travel from one objective to another, so that's my problem amplified.

But other than that, TOTK is a great game, and if people wanna call it the best of 2023, it's very well-deserved. But personally, I think I'm a bit disappointed with how some things came out and how this may be the new direction they want to take new Zelda games, if there will be more in the future.

[pebblysand]

hey! how's it going?

I've been wondering where "pebblysand" came from... is that a quotation or just random words?

Also, I was thinking about Harry and tattoos. I've always headcanoned that he'd get some but what do you think the stance on tattoos is in Wizarding britain? IIRC nobody in the books actually has any and the only mentions of them are with Ginny in HBP and Ron in DH. I feel like there's so much like traditionalism in the Wizarding world that both the permanence of them and the adjustment to one's body, as well as introducing something foreign into your blood... I feel like there'd 100% be a stigma.

hey! thanks for the ask!

hmm, neither random words nor a quote. it's a username i picked over ten years ago now, to replace an even older username that was very fandom specific. i changed fandoms and wanted something that was more attached to "me" and less attached to a specific ship/story.

i am from an area of france that has pebbly beaches but have moved to an area of the world where the beaches have sand. i guess i was trying to be a bit metaphorical about being an immigrant, being from two places at once, etc. and the beach is my happy place 😊.

regarding tattoos, idk. i guess in the absolute, you're correct: there would probably be stronger stigmas around tattoos in the ww due to the factors you've exposed. it's a very traditional society that appears a lot less open and diverse than the UK, so i would think that's a fair assumption to make. at the same, i'm personally not particularly interested in making the ww different from ours. i don't have that drive to worldbuild the magic/lore/society the way other people have; frankly, if i could do away entirely with the fantasy aspect of the ww, i would. i'm not really interested in what wizarding traditions could be. so, i reckon for the purposes of my work, i see tattoos as being considered the same way as they are in western society in the muggle world: young people thinking they're cool and edgy (massive generalisation here, but still) and older generations thinking they're a bit "stupid"/denoting a certain "lifestyle choice".

i do think my reading is kinda supported by canon though. when you look at the convo with ginny, it's pretty lighthearted. she certainly doesn't seem to find tattoos stigmatising. so i think you could easily support both interpretations 😊

[fmp2halimekaraca]

Weapons

At the start of the project, I have had a different idea that involved children having water gun fights in the form of illustrations that would usually be found in toy commercials or just graphic novels . Now, although I decided to keep the idea of having illustrations as outcomes but go in a different direction with my theme, there are still a few links here that I could use to backup my new theme.

Weapons have been around for centuries and have been the means of killing billions of people over the course of our history.

It is estimated that 1,900,000 guns were produced during WWII and around 45,000 rounds of ammunition was fired to kill one enemy soldier. This does not, however, end at wars. According to recent studies, more Americans died of gun related injuries in 2020 than in any other year recorded.

The First gun

The first firearm was the fire lance. It was created in chine in the 10-12th centuries. It was depicted as a bamboo tube that used gunpowder (which was also created in Chine in the 9th century) to fire a spear. It is regarded as the first gun ever created.

It has been debated over the years weather the invention of the gun was one of humanities greatest achievements or it's biggest mistake. Due to the amount of violence that takes place at gun point yearly around the world (due to wars, mass shooting, terrorism, robbery, etc), a lot of people believe that, without guns, the world would've been more peaceful.

However, others believe that creating guns was no more a mistake than creating hammers. Guns, like any other man-made tool, have their uses and have helped humanity evolve over the years making it easier for us to hunt and defend ourselves. The problem actually comes from the people that use these tools with no regards towards their actions and the consequences that follow. The tool is not the problem but rather the one that uses it.

Albert Einstein's quote regarding WW IV speaks however on the idea of how destructive nuclear weapons are and how if we are not careful, we could ultimately destroy the human race and revert back to the Stone Age when we used rocks and sticks to fight.

The reason I have looked at weapons in the first place has to do with Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. There is a particular scene that depicts young boys at a military camp getting prepared to fight in war. They were assigned into two teams and tasked with retrieving a flag while shooting each other with paint.

What stuck with me most was the dark, grim colours of the environment and the realistic and intimidating looking guns in contrast with the children's laughter and the bright paint.

These exact feelings of childish wonder and fun are what I aim to achieve in my illustrations. The idea of children being able to see the beauty in even the darkest and most grotesque situations.

I have also found this company that promotes very colourful guns made for younger children. The intricate patterns and bright colours are supposed to spark the interest of younger generations and make shooting sports more fun and interesting.

The concept of making something that can kill look more appealing for children is both interesting and extremely disturbing in my opinion.

[cursedsleep-blog]

Updated Thoughts on Midnight Hunt

Mechanics

Disturb, Decayed, and Day/Night were all really nice!  Disturb gave the Spirits a nice identity and did a great job of tying them to the graveyard and transformation themes of the plane.

Decayed was really fun and novel take on tokens and allowed for some interesting stuff. The unnamed Morbid and the ‘Tap 3′ creatures were nice touches.

Day/Night was a good fix for WW transformation, and the D/N stuff in Jeskai really helped tie the premise to the mechanics. Tolovar is also pretty fun.

Addition as of 4/27/2023: That said, the tracking issues in Paper are worth keeping in mind, and I would like to see Werewolves that transform in different ways as well (both on and off of Innistrad)

As for Coven, it seems like an interesting idea, but a lot of the cards felt too weak.

I have no real strong feelings or thoughts about Vampire ‘Bloodthirst’ or Flashback, and the bare-bones inclusion of Clues/Investigate was really disappointing.

Btw, while UB was definitely on the stronger side in Draft, the format seemed to be pretty good regardless.

Addition as of 4/27/2023: Actually, I didn’t draft much of this, so I don’t feel too qualified to talk about the quality. WU was also on the stronger side from what I saw though.

Concept, Plot, and Stuff

While MID’s concept wasn’t terrible and it introduced some neat stuff, the execution felt lacking somehow, it seemed to play things too safe, and Vow/Olivia just made the story not matter at all.

The addition of stuff like the Covens was great, and really helps the Humans feel more Green. The movie stuff was also mostly alright. In particular I liked the Ants.

The execution of things left something to be desired though.  While the idea of a looming, endless night is interesting, things did not seem as scary as they should have been.

I can’t fully pin down why it feels this way, but my best guess is that the overall horror felt unfocused?  Like for the most part it was just general horror stuff on Innistrad instead of horror about the lengthening night.

It also really felt like MID (and VOW) played things too safe. Bar being down 3 Angels, the occasional reference to the Trevails, and having Em be the excuse for the Eternal Night, MID was just normal old Innistrad again. It didn’t feel like past visit really had any meaningful consequences for the plane (is the Flight of Nightmares or anything still around?), and the Eternal Night definitely had none.  The biggest change was probably Odric getting vamped.

Regarding Vow some more, it just sucked.  I’ll just repost what I said in the original post, though I do think I may have read a little too much into Innistrad transforming. MID’s Evolving Wilds was really cool though.

Also, I dislike how the story didn’t end up mattering because:Olivia swooped in, making the fight over the ritual meaningless.  Then in VOW the ritual happens anyway, leaving VOW feeling like an awful sidequest.

Instead of focusing on the Eternal Night and the signs Innistrad was transforming (Evolving Wilds, the stuff with the Sea and Runo, etc.), VOW was about a dam wedding & reset back to the status quo.

Lastly, I think calling in the Gatewatch (except Teferi) wasn’t great.  It feels like they take up space that should be going into developing the world and concept, or maybe walkers with a better reason to be there. At least that godawful story watermark is gone now.

Addition as of 12/6: Why was I that snarky about the watermark. Wasn’t I trying to not be rude this time. Don’t get me wrong, the watermark was obnoxious but so was the way I complained about it here.

[hamliet]

Hi, I hope you're doing well! Regarding MDZS, I realized that there is a lack of exploration of major character alternate pairings and relationship dynamics. I think - regardless of the fundamental connection between LWJ&WW - Wei Wuxian, canonically, could have made a number of relationships genuinely work given the appropriate impetus since it took LWJ a long time to understand parts of WW’s character. It made me think how "fated" Wangxian"s relationship is, considering the plot/timing.

Mmm, alas, I don't think that I agree, sorry!

I don't think fate is a huge thing in MXTX's works in general--even when things appear to be fated/already written (aka ending up in a literal story in Scum Villain), that's undone and shown to be harmful.

I also just don't think the characters lend themselves to making any relationship work. Wei Wuxian really, really struggles to see value in himself; in fact he sees no value whatsoever in himself, even when he's boasting. Because Lan Wangji was so... fundamentally honest and determined and committed to whatever he chose, something Wei Wuxian had seen time and time again, Wei Wuxian trusted him when he realized Lan Wangji liked him--but it took him a damn long time to realize. I'm not sure who else in the cast had a personality that would encourage Wei Wuxian to grow in the same ways Lan Wangji did.

Like, given different circumstances, different worlds, AUs--sure, of course, but that's not the story told, and the reason it isn't is because of the choices the characters make... which to me seems to be rather the opposite of fate :P That's my opinion anyways, and you're welcome to yours, of course!

[doomtodivide]

Imagining The Future: Bastille's New Era Analysis

Hello all! The following is taken from the first of my new era update posts on r/Bastillecult. I highly reccomend reading all the posts on there!

Last time I had a few solid guesses with the whole Goosebumps EP transition period, so I figured I would try my luck with this new era. I've broken everything down into a few categories that should hopefully flesh out a sketch of possibilities

Aesthetic: The new logo has a very sleek design. This complete change in aesthetics is very noticable. Bad Blood was filled with literature references, a cozy and nerdy looking dan, and more earthy looking tones. Wild World focused on nihilism, movie references, and an all too realistic dystopian city aesthetic. Doom Days focused on escapism, partying, fucking, and a red and home-y vibes. The lack of color and the clean and sleek look points towards it being a more future oriented era.

Triangle: For a deeper background, I highly recommend reading u/casperwyomingrex 'spost.

The WW era triangle and this new triangle are technically called deltas. While I am by no means a geometry person, I’ve been told by a few math nerds that these triangles are technically not possible in certain plains and spaces, making them impossible. While it is likely that Bastille just needed to explore just slightly outside the normal definition of a triangle to match this aesthetic, the impossible triangle t-shirts hint that there is significance to having “impossible” triangles. This hints that there may be more in common between the WW Era and the Future Era, ie. a dystopian society.

Dystopia: Bastille created an entire dystopian corporation for WW. I remember them saying somewhere they hated the promo and touring process for this album, leading them to switch up the process for DD and the Goosebumps EP. With the record label change and covid shaking up the world, this opens up the opportunity for them to have a redo with this era, especially considering it is a fan favorite era. Many people have pointed out that hint has a vibe similar to black mirror, a sci-fi dystopian show, which would fully support a sci-fi dystopian aesthetic era.

Sound: Though the clip is only 8 seconds long, it gives us some hints about the new era. Bastille once again uses synths for sound, creating a reference to Sci Fi sound effects. The clip mirrors the effect of oscillators to create things like laser sound effects, teleportation, warping, and other “space” noises. I find the juxtaposition of Sci-fi interesting; it was most popular in the early 1900s, meaning Bastille is referencing the past, yet it focuses on the future, which in the lense of Sci-fi, would mean the 2000s and beyond.

In the lens of broadcasting, short interludes are used throughout advertising to the point where many people don’t even think about this. A lot of them are used to hook us in and signify a certain company or thing. In advertisements they are used to signify the company’s presence and to worm the product into our brain. In casinos they are used as a dopamine reward. News stations use them to signify the station. This especially could be relevant in a dystopian society. I’m mentioning this because the clip doesn’t sound full enough to be a song, rather an intro to a news station segment. I find this especially notable considering WW had a news anchor. Looking back, a few videos from wild world could hold significance. This video

has a sci-fi esc clip in the intro.

In Previous Context: In the context of ReOrchestrated, Bastille is no longer letting imposter syndrome or shitty opinions stop them from what they want to do. Meaning they are going full force into the future. There's one specific time during the ReOrch doc where the boys talk about how ReOrch made them realize they could try new shit, even if management thinks it will fail. Dan has spoken in a few interviews now about being excited about collabing (and mentioning relinquishing control to others in the ReOrch doc), a few artists have come forward about working with Dan. While it’s unlikely that every collab we’ve theorized about will go through, Dan Wilson and Ryan Tedder seem to be confirmed in the roster based off of their interviews

When considering the past, a lot of previous songs focus on nostalgia; for example, in Fake it “We can never go back / We can only do our best to recreate.” Post ReOrch and DD, Bastille has worked up enough confidence to push into making their own future, one unlimited by nostalgia and fear.

In the Context of the Goosebumps EP, Inception and Vanilla Sky are both referenced. Both of these movies mark the first time* (to my knowledge

) that futuristic sci-fi has been referenced in Bastille. There is significant overlap with dreaming and time travel, something that could definitely be applied to this era. While it could be coincidental, Bastille has been quite purposeful with using references to add to the era’s aesthetic (see Aesthetic section). Referencing them during a transition period points towards both the literal future (new era) and a new aesthetic.

*Cosmos: War of the Planets and twilight zone have both been referenced but fall into a different category of sci-fi than Vanilla Sky and Inception

In Regards to Distraction Tactics Space Week and WW, alot of it holds very similar aesthetics. This video

from WW also holds a similar aesthetic. Considering DT is linked through space and WW is linked through dystopian this might MIGHT be related.

Hints: It wouldn’t be a new Era without Dan “Soon” Smith teasing us a bit, so here are a few highlights. In this interview

, Dan says “I want to tell you but I can’t! We just want to reflect on the future…” The No Bad Days tweet and the #ToTheSky post likely plays a part in the new era, but the 8 second clip does not have any immediate hints. The art installation in the #ToTheSky post originally caught my interest when it was posted. James Turrel, the artist that created the installation, uses light as a medium to create art. The installation, called the Space That Sees, is described as an “allegory of light that we generate from inside and light that comes from outside: the emergence into space where light comes forth as in a dream." While I have no fucking clue how to interprete this allegory, I imagine space, light, and dreaming will become key players in the new era. A few other notable works of his are the Raethro Pink and Alta Pink, both of which are pinkish purplish white triangles light projections surrounded by inky blackness. The use of Bastille’s triangle logo and a flash of light purple light means there are likely deep ties between the new era and James Turrel’s creations; furthermore, he also acquired a dormant cinder cone volcano to turn into an a museum/observatory using light apertures to observe the solar system, adding further ties to the space and light themes.

Meaning: "You Don't Predict The Future. You Imagine It" I have purposely not used predict in this analysis so I don’t jinx this era. I’ve found a few variations of this saying (You Can’t Predict The Future. But You Can Create It), but all of them seem to point towards creating the future instead of guessing. I imagine not many of my predictions of this era will not be accurate because I am not the one imagining it. I feel like this might also point towards being conscious about what you want out of the future instead of merely guessing where the tides will take you. This could also be like that one story of a kid's drawings turning into real creatures because of the kid imagining it. I feel like “future” and “imagine” point deeply towards sci-fi because of the creative inventions that will take us there. This could also connect to the theory that the survivin’ coin is linked to A.A., and this statement being a motto to help someone escape addiction. Personally, I feel like this clip is the beginning of some sci-fi choose your own adventure video game, but that's my own opinion.

My Personal Crazy Conclusion: It wouldn’t be a post from me without me shooting out some crazy theories. A Light Cult Utopia. That's right. It would be the opposite of WW, meaning it would be new territory for Bastille and it would break a mold (ReOrch doc). It would also give Dan the ability to be more positive then he has been in the past, while also allowing for his normal cynical undertones. Bastille is purposeful with their references, meaning the Jonestown reference in DD might have a bit more purpose behind it. The lighter colors used in the clip would point to happiness. Considering utopias are “imagined” it would fit the phrase in the clip. Sci-fi would also fit into this as being imagined. Considering there are a few space references, I imagine that humans have imagined perfect spacecraft, further fitting sci-fi and a utopian society. Also, Dan collabed with Future Utopia on the track “What’s In A Name?” That's right, what’s in a name? The name being Future Utopia? An entire new era being the name? That right cultists, Dan ”Soon” Smith snuck this under our noses the entire time that bastard.

Summary Statement: This new era will likely bring collabs from an entirely new approach. A Sci-fi dystopian (or utopian) world, one focused on dreaming, light, and space will likely be the aesthetic for this era.

Loose ends: I am only one human, meaning I physically could not rewatch Inception and Vanilla Sky while also researching James Turrel, so there might be a few things I missed in my brief look at them. If anyone would like to read 1984 by George Orwell through the whole dystopian thing, there might be a few connections there.

Based on some things I’ve heard from a little birdy, expect some big non-album projects that tie in with this era and other things….

Special thanks to u/0verjoyed and @ ja9zimm on twitter

[fedonciadale]

Unpopular speculation: I don’t think jon will have to go south to ask for daenerys’ help, there’s already one man searching for her and she will go by herself to fulfill her brother’s prophecy, considering that she only brought destruction wherever she went she will try to play the hero. Dany is as lunatic as rhaegar when it comes to prophecies but she isn’t dumb, she knows her dragons are monsters, they bring only death and destruction and knows that to conquer Westeros she needs them but she needs support as well so I imagine when someone goes to her saying that she’s the prince of rhaegar’s prophecy she will think “that’s my chance” more likely what stannis did when he went to wall.

Hi there!

I would actually prefer if Jon and Dany never meet. Lol.

Nevertheless I think there are certain trajectories of the story that - at least in my opinion - are in favour of Jon going south to ask for dragons. So, I have to disagree.

a) there are hints in Jon’s chapters that he will think that the dragons and their fire are a solution to the WW problem.

b) Quentyn came to Dany on a so-called bride’s quest. There will be other suitors for Dany, Victarion probably one of them, but I think that Jon will be one of the ‘suitors’. He’ll be a false suitor though. Dany will think that he comes for her, but for Jon Dany is not the main subject of his quest. From Jon’s PoV he will be on a side quest, a task he has to check on his long list to achieve his real goal, the defeat of the WW. Just like Aragorn went on the Paths of the Dead to get an army which he then used to liberate Gondor.

c) There is also the fact that for Dany prophecies and their fulfillment come in three. I think Quentyn is her first Westerosi suitor (and he was serious), Victarion will be the second (and he just wants her as a trophy) and Jon will be the third (who just wants her dragons).

I’m not even sure, book Dany wants to be a hero. She wants to be loved that is true, but first of all she wants to be special, exceptional, and she doesn’t really care if she achieves this by ‘good’ actions.

Also, I think there is a difference between Dany and Stannis in that regard. I am not a Stannis fan but he has a sense of duty. He knows that his foremost duty is the well being of the people of the seven kingdoms and when he went to the Wall he proved that he can put his own goals behind that. Dany will not do that. She’ll go to Westeros for selfish reason, because she is exceptional, because it is her right. And there she will meet not only one, but two people who have a better claim than her.

For Dany to put the well being of the people of Westeros behind her own she would just have to stay where she is. She knows that she’ll bring war to Westeros:

The thought of home disquieted her. If her sun-and-stars had lived, he would have led his khalasar across the poison water and swept away her enemies, but his strength had left the world. Her bloodriders remained, sworn to her for life and skilled in slaughter, but only in the ways of the horselords. The Dothraki sacked cities and plundered kingdoms, they did not rule them. Dany had no wish to reduce King's Landing to a blackened ruin full of unquiet ghosts. She had supped enough on tears. I want to make my kingdom beautiful, to fill it with fat men and pretty maids and laughing children. I want my people to smile when they see me ride by, the way Viserys said they smiled for my father.         

But before she could do that she must conquer.     (ACOK, Dany II)

Remember that Dany was absolutely o.k. with using the Dothraki to conquer Westeros at a time when she did not have dragons yet.

You understand that quote best if you take a saying from the show “Everything before the word but is horseshit.” What does Dany think conquering means? It means reducing King’s Landing to a blackened ruin. I think GRRM will be consistent in writing her a s selfish.

Just my thoughts, obviously!

Thanks for the ask!